Broken Arrow Area Information

Broken Arrow Area Information

Broken Arrow

is a city located to the southeast of Tulsa in the NE part Oklahoma. It is the largest suburban area of Tulsa. Broken Arrow currently has a population of over 88,000. This has increased from around 74,000 since the year 2000. Broken Arrow is the 4th largest city in Oklahoma pushing out Lawton. Broken Arrow has a large industrial base and is considered to have the 3rd highest concentration of industries in the state. Broken Arrow is locally referred to as BA.

Broken Arrow comes from a much older Creek community located Alabama. The Creek´s journeyed to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears, and created a new community named after the earlier Alabama settlement. Broken Arrow´s native American Creek title was Rekackv (pronounced thlee-Kawtch-kuh) ? thus translating to the easier to pronounce, broken arrow.

William. S. Fears, secretary of the company, was chosen to name one of the sites. It was his choice to name the site Broken Arrow, which was south east of Tulsa and a few miles to the north of the original BA Creek settlement. The MKT railroad which now has changed hands and is owned by Union Pacific, is still operational to this day, mainly for freight movement around the country.

Broken Arrow's past was mainly based on an agricultural system, due to fertile lands and warm climate. The introduction of controlled man made lakes has ensured that there is a vast amount of water available in the north east Oklahoma region. There were also some coal mines in the area some 100 years ago, which also gave rise to the industrial feel of the area.

The local newspaper, the Broken Arrow Ledger, started shortly after the city was established although the city was slow to grow and expand at this time of the beginning of the 20th century. It was not until 1904 that we saw the first school house built.

The vast majority of the local church´s and stores were all congregated in and around the Broken Arrow main street.

It was not until the 60´s that BA´s growth commenced apace and it changed from a typical US small town to a full suburban city of Tulsa. The much misaligned BA Expresswaywas first constructed in the 60´s. After many years of use and much increased traffic this was totally remodeled and widened for the traffic volumes of the 21st century. As the Expressway connected the downtown area of Tulsa directly with BA, this greatly assisted in the areas growth. Whilst the area now has in excess of 80,000 residents, it was a lowly 10,000 back in the late 1960´s. The BA city planners have tried to further develop the BA area in an endeavor to retain the local population from traveling to Tulsa to shop and dine. They initiated a plan to revitalize its historic regions. Some of the planners ideas includes the building of a new museum, where the local historical society will be housed, a new PAC, a market amongst other suggested ideas. These should open in 08.A new library to be built in the downtown BA has also been slated. This has also affected the residential market with the construction of new town homes, with plane for a buyout (voluntary) of some properties that are in much need of "tear down."

for the first time are often surprised and disappointed -- they thought they'd be greeted by Native Americans in leather and moccasins, living in teepees or tribal lodges. Nothing could be further from reality.

While the city's name of Broken Arrow comes from Creek Indians who initially settled here more than 100 years ago -- and while many of Broken Arrow's top citizens and community leaders have a proud Native American heritage (mostly Creek and Cherokee) -- this booming suburb of Tulsa is a remarkable mix of cultures and lifestyles.

The Broken Arrow Police Department has recently had a facelift and their forensic facility has been working diligently towards accreditation. They successfully passed the accreditation process of the American Society of Crime Laboratory DirectorsLaboratory Accreditation Board ? ASCLD/LAB.